g himself
horribly.

"I shall be a dead man--murdered in a minute," he groaned. "Help! Oh,
my poor missus and the bairns! Tek off that thing, and keep away yon
dorg."

"Look here," said Uncle Jack, making the light play on the poor wretch's
miserable face. "How came you here?"

"Your dorg flew at me, mester, and drove me in t'watter."

"Yes, exactly; but how came you in the yard?"

"I d'know, mester, I d'know."

"I suppose not," said Uncle Jack.

"Tek off that thing, mester; tek off that thing. It's most cootin off
my leg."

I was ready to add my supplications, for I knew the poor wretch must be
in terrible agony; but I felt as if I could not speak.

"I'll take it off by and by, when I know how you came here."

"I tell'ee it's 'gen the law to set they montraps," cried the fellow in
a sudden burst of anger, "and I'll have the law o' thee."

"I would," said Uncle Jack, still making the light play over the
dripping figure, and then examining the trap, and tracing the chain to
the peg. "Hullo!" he cried, "what's this?"

He was holding the lantern close to a dark object upon the ground quite
close, and Gentles uttered a fresh yell, bounded up, made a clanking
noise, and fell again groaning.

"Doan't! Doan't! Thou'lt blow us all to bits."

"Oh, it's powder, then, is it?" cried Uncle Jack.

"Hey, I d'know, mester, I d'know."

"Didn't bring it with you, I suppose?" said Uncle Jack.

"Nay, mester, I didn't bring it wi' me."

"Then how do you know it's powder?"

"Hey, I d'know it's powder," groaned the miserable wretch. "It only
looks like it. Tek off this trap thing. Tek away the light. Hey, bud
I'm being killed."

"Let me see," said Uncle Jack with cool deliberation. "You climbed over
the wall with that can of powder and the fuse."

"Nay, nay, mester, not me."

"And fell into a trap."

"Yes, mester. Tek it off."

"Where did you mean to put that can of powder?"

"Nay, mester, I--"

"Tell me directly," cried Uncle Jack, giving the chain a drag and making
Gentles yell out; "tell me directly, or I'll pitch you into the dam."

Uncle Jack's manner was so fierce that the man moaned out feebly:

"If I tell'ee wilt tek off the trap?"

"Perhaps I will. Speak out. Where did you mean to put the powder can?"

"Under big watter-wheel, mester."

"And fire the fuse?"

"Yes, mester."

"How long would it have burned?"

"Twenty minutes, mester."

"Same length as the one that was run